‘He Who Consoles Us Should Console You’: The Spirituality of the Word in Select Letters of Augustine of Hippo

This essay explores Augustine’s spirituality of Scripture in select epistolary exchanges. It argues that Augustine’s use of Scripture in the following epistolary exchanges was meant for building up faith, hope, and love in order to help his recipients faithfully pursue the Christian life in the present day, and prepare for eternity to come. Both in the Scripture’s transformative power and its ability to shape and define one’s life, Augustine presents a multi-faceted view of spirituality centered on Scripture. This essay begins by calling attention to Augustine’s theology of Scripture. This summary leads to an assessment of Augustine’s view of Scripture as the vehicle for prayer. Augustine also provides a perspective on the humble nature of Scripture, which informs his spirituality. Additionally, the spirituality of Scripture in Augustine relates directly to Christian doctrine. In sum, for Augustine, a spirituality centered on Scripture is the only sound basis for the Christian life.